Certification Requirements

1.  IACCA Workshops and Seminars
   A candidate for certification is required to take two seminars and six workshops in order to be certified. The process begins with the Introductory Seminar, offered at each Annual Conference in the fall. Six Key Content Workshops (KCWs) are then required, and all must be taken before the candidate enrolls for the Capstone Seminar. The six KCWs are: Finance, Food Service, Human Resources, Marketing, Programming, and Site & Facilities. The final piece of the formal education process, the four-day Capstone Seminar, is offered at least every other year (more frequently if warranted) in the late winter or early spring at varying member locations.
   
2. Professional Experience
   Successful candidates for certification must have at least three years of full-time experience in the nonprofit conference center management field.
   
3. Professional Endorsements
   Candidates for certification must submit three professional endorsements. One must be from the candidate's immediate supervisor and one from a major user of the center at which the candidate works. The third must be from a conference center director, either the director of the candidate's own center or a professional colleague.
   
4. Formal Education
   Certification candidates must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or demonstrate an education equivalent by accumulating 50 points in the following categories:

Conference Attendance

Publishing

• 10 points for each published article on a conference center subject (maximum 20)

Leadership in IACCA

• Committee membership - 5 points per year (maximum 10)
• Board membership - 7 points per year (maximum 14)
• Section leadership - 5 points per year (maximum 5)
• Teaching a KCW or Seminar - 10 points per course (maximum 20)
• College course in related field - 1 point per credit hour (maximum 20)
• Continuing education in related field - 1 point per CEU (maximum 20)